While he was mulling this over, Wen Yan chimed in with a timely remark.

"Brother, you can tell them I asked you to inquire; that way, it'll be easier for you to report back."

"Alright, thank you so much."

Reporting other matters might have resulted in a scolding, but reporting Wen Yan's visit was normal. After all, Wen Yan had suffered some grievances here only a few days prior.

After leaving, Wen Yan returned to Yu State City and, to relax, continued his stint as a chef.

Meanwhile, the White-Faced Guard had already departed via the Rakshasa Ghost Market for Guanzhong County to report to Lord Zhu.

Upon arriving, he heard that Lord Zhu was enjoying an opera. He initially thought he would have to wait for an hour, but unexpectedly, someone came to escort him inside within five minutes.

The White-Faced Guard was somewhat surprised and had a sudden change of plans.

He had originally intended to make an appearance himself...

He reached a theater garden. There weren't many people in the audience; the place had struggled to stay afloat in the past.

Later, Lord Zhu invested some money, allowing the garden to continue operating. Now, it hosted not only operas but also storytelling and crosstalk performances, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Tickets were cheap, and patrons constantly came and went. How much money it earned was secondary; the main purpose was to provide a place for amusement.

The White-Faced Ghost was led to the second floor, where Lord Zhu was leaning back in his chair, nodding continuously as he listened to the intense Qin opera below.

"Today's performance is powerful, full of vigor..."

The White-Faced Ghost stood to one side, not daring to speak until spoken to. When Lord Zhu finished listening to a piece, he turned his head to look at him.

"Speak. What is it?"

The White-Faced Ghost honestly relayed that Wen Yan had come to the Rakshasa Ghost Market and had asked him to deliver the report, saying it was at Wen Yan's request. He conveyed everything exactly as Wen Yan had instructed.

Having finished speaking, the White-Faced Ghost took out the roster and handed it over.

Lord Zhu chuckled and teased, "This young fellow is rather thoughtful, worried you might get implicated. Am I that kind of person? When he asks me for favors, he doesn't even use his own connections, but for the sake of fellows like you, he's willing to."

The White-Faced Ghost secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This approach was indeed better. If he had come forward himself, Lord Zhu probably wouldn't have given him a second glance, let alone spoken to him so cheerfully. This is much better.

Lord Zhu picked up the roster, his gaze sharpening slightly as he saw the circled name.

Hu Yuan...

He certainly knew who Hu Yuan was. He also knew that if Hu Yuan needed to leave his signature, he would disdain using a pseudonym and would boldly write his own name.

Lord Zhu stared at those two characters for a long moment, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Tsk, he's grown weaker, more restrained. The domineering and wild brushwork of the past is gone; it's lost its old spirit."

He had seen calligraphy by Hu Yuan before. Without even considering the content, just from the characters themselves, the sheer power and arrogance exuded by the brushstrokes revealed the writer's personality.

Based on this calligraphy alone, his works could serve as a model for others to study, as it was incredibly difficult for anyone else to replicate that style.

Thus, Old Zhu cherished that piece of calligraphy greatly and had preserved it well.

Of course, his appreciation for the calligraphy was purely because it was a peerless, unique masterpiece.

The Mountain Lord himself probably couldn't write like that anymore; he could no longer summon the same state of mind or spirit he'd had when he wrote that piece.

Because Old Zhu had landed a heavy blow on him, shattering his spine.

Yes, literally.

Lord Zhu looked at the two characters and mused, The Mountain Lord has actually revived. And so early too. It seems the beating he took back then was quite severe, enough to destroy his physical body. He appears more subdued now, but deep down, he's still as unrestrained as ever. Letting his Rakshasa Bird subordinates harm people, and in Cai Heizi's territory no less... Tsk, would Cai Heizi tolerate that? Definitely not. He's probably already been marked down in Cai Heizi's little black book, just waiting for a chance to strike him hard when he's not looking.

Cai Heizi, on the surface, appears brash, like an imperial censor constantly criticizing everyone from top to bottom, offending a great many people. In reality, the man is deeply cunning.

At the very least, the fact that he could shoulder so much blame yet remain alive and well, holding a high position with real power, spoke volumes.

Lord Zhu thought for a moment, then asked his secretary, "What's on the agenda for the near future?"

Without even glancing at his records, the secretary replied directly, "Tomorrow, you are scheduled to go to the Grand Museum. They've gathered a collection of items there, said to be national treasure-level cultural relics. Some are of uncertain authenticity, and they've requested you to go and appraise them.

The day after tomorrow is the opening ceremony for the new phase of the subway construction project, also scheduled in advance.

And the day after that, there's a meeting..."

"What meeting? It's so tedious! Why are there always so many meetings? Forget it. The day after tomorrow, we'll quietly slip off to Nanwu County and watch the fun."

"Prince, the meeting itself isn't crucial, but your discreet trip to Nanwu County... that might not be appropriate..."

"Am I in prison? Or will I be executed for leaving my fief without permission? I'm not leaving the Divine Land, nor am I going to the Capital City or Jinling City. Can't I even take a little trip to a run-down place like Nanwu County for some leisure?"

"..."

No one dared to say anything more.

It was true. As long as he didn't go to the Capital City or Jinling City, nor leave the Divine Land, no one would really object.

Nanwu County, indeed, wasn't much of an issue.

Lord Zhu, brimming with enthusiasm, listened to the opera. The vigorous singing from the stage below suddenly made him feel even more invigorated.

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